Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 13:38:56 -0500 From: Kevin Ivers Subject: FLORIDA GOP CHARTERS LOG CABIN FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kevin Ivers April 22, 1999 (202) 347-5306 x12 FLORIDA GOP OFFICIALLY CHARTERS LOG CABIN CHAPTER First Official Party Recognition in South (WASHINGTON) The Republican Party of Florida formally recognized the Broward County Log Cabin Club as a chartered Republican organization yesterday. The state GOP charter was presented by Broward County GOP Chairman Edward Pozzuoli at a meeting of the Broward County chapter of Log Cabin Republicans. It marked the first chartering of a Log Cabin Republicans chapter in the south. "We applaud Tom Slade and the state GOP for their recognition of the hard work and dedication of our activists in Florida," said Rich Tafel, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans. "It is a testament to the years of relentless activism by leaders like Andy Eddy and Jack Majeske and other Log Cabin leaders in Broward County that they have earned an official party charter. It also demonstrates the kind of inclusive party that Governor Jeb Bush has been promising." "The Republican Party has been viewed as mean-spirited and intolerant for too long, and it has cost us elections," Tafel said. "We are seeing more local and state Republican leaders reaching out to the gay community not only to broaden the party base but to clearly demonstrate to women, independents and other swing voters that they really mean it when they talk about inclusion. With all the senseless gay bashing that has happened over the years inside the GOP, people will judge all the rhetoric about inclusion by how the Republican Party treats gay people in the next election." Log Cabin Republicans is the nation's largest gay Republican organization, with state and local chapters nationwide, a federal political action committee and a national office headquartered in Washington, D.C. #### Log Cabin Republicans Kevin Ivers (202) 347-5306 phone Director of Public Affairs (202) 347-5224 fax http://www.lcr.org ============================================================ Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 08:17:25 -0400 (EDT) From: A Jay Eddy Subject: BLCCF Awarded FL State GOP Charter- First of Gays in SE USA 1-E For Immediate Release April 22, 1999 Contact: Jack Majeske, President P.O. Box 1281, Ft.Lauderdale,FL 33302 (954) LCR-1995 BLCCF ON THE MOVE - AWARDED FIRST GOP STATE CHARTER IN SE USA Wednesday, April 21, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.. We, the Florida Gold Coast Officers and members of the Broward Log Cabin Republican Club (BLCCF) are proud to announce the granting of our OFFICIAL CHARTER by the Republican Party of the State of Florida. We thank Mr. Edward Pozzuoli, our County Chairman, Mr. Lew Keller, our past county Chairman, Mr. Al Cardenas, our present state Chairman, Mr. Thomas Slade, our prior state Chairman, and especially our Governor Jeb Bush and State Rep. Debby Sanderson for what they have done today. This charter represents more than just the acceptance of gay women and men into the forefront of the Republican Family. It is a message to every American that the party is recognizing the validity of our struggle for equality. It is a silenced message that President Bush addressed over the voices of objection. The Big Tent is real and the embrace of a one party system over the heads of our community has not been fully earned nor has the demand for unquestioning and blind loyalty been totally justified. We, who believe in the diversity of the political system, can no longer simply vote for just any politician who espouse politics not representative of our core beliefs of what it is to be a good citizen. Our politicians must earn our votes and not just expect them. We do not have to support social and fiscal extremism because "there is no other choice". The reception we have received from the Broward GOP and by our leaders in Tallahassee is also a message to America- the Party of Abraham Lincoln is NOT a party of hate as Propagandistas have conspired to make us believe. HATE IS NOT A REPUBLICAN VALUE! There is living proof. Individuals like Rudy Giuliani, Christie Todd Whitman, Wiliam Weld, Jim Kolbe, Steve Gunderson, Ed Pozzuoli, Lou Keller and many more reinforce our conviction that there is a place for us in this GRAND OLD PARTY. It is therefore with great pride that we can end this message with these words- for our country, for our state, for our county, for our families, and for our future- VOTE REPUBLICAN TOO!